Caption: MODEL RELEASED Fingerprint scanner. Shopper using a fingerprint scanner to pay for their purchases. This biometric payment system was developed by the Californian company Pay By Touch and (as of March 2006) is in use in a small number of supermarkets in Oxford, UK. The scanner is linked to a database that holds an individual's bank account details and loyalty card details, as well as their fingerprint. At the check-out the customer simply scans their finger and payment is taken directly from their account.